Being diagnosed with both depression and cardiometabolic diseases (e.g., heart disease or diabetes) is becoming a growing health issue. Research shows that experiencing maltreatment (e.g., abuse or neglect) during childhood increases the risk of developing both depression and cardiometabolic diseases later in life. Additionally, people with autism/ADHD are more likely to experience maltreatment. The more maltreatment experienced, the higher the risk. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, specifically lack of exercise, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption, are linked to a higher risk of having depression and cardiometabolic disease. Interestingly, childhood maltreatment is known to increase the likelihood of adopting these unhealthy behaviours. While we understand that there are overlapping connections between childhood maltreatment, unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, and the risk of depression and cardiometabolic diseases, it’s still unclear whether changing these lifestyle behaviours can influence the impact of childhood maltreatment on the development of these conditions.
Our study aims to explore how lifestyle behaviours can affect the relationship between autism/ADHD, childhood maltreatment, and the later development of depression and cardiometabolic diseases. To do this, we will analyse and then combine longitudinal studies, with clinical and self-reported data. This research will take place over three years. We will use advanced statistical methods to address any missing data, ensuring we have a reliable and comprehensive dataset.
The findings from this study will shed light on the importance of lifestyle behaviours in the link between childhood maltreatment and the risk of depression and cardiometabolic diseases. This could lead to future research aimed at developing strategies to reduce the risk of these diseases in people who experienced maltreatment in childhood.